Reviewed: March 2, 2004
Reviewed by: Mike Gonzales
Publisher
Namco
Developer
Namco
Released: December 9, 2003
Genre: Racing
Players: 2
ESRB: Teen
8
7
7
8
7.7
Supported Features
Unless you’ve been living under a box for the last decade, you know that Namco is no stranger to the gaming scene. The Japanese based company has flooded gamers with top-notch titles since the arcade days of old and continues to deliver the goods on next generation consoles with best selling franchises like Tekken and Soul Calibur. Don’t be fooled though, the company doesn’t limit itself to fighters. Namco’s hit series Ridge Racer has been around for 10 years and continues to give racing fans a taste of speed with their sixth game of the franchise, R: Racing Evolution. While this racer is no revolutionary masterpiece, it does give the GameCube community it’s best arcade/simulation racer to date. Let’s start with the facts, shall we.
R: Racing Evolution features:
- 32 Real-world licensed vehicles allow for upgrades and modifications.
- 5 game modes including Racing Life (Story Mode), Event Challenge, Time Attack, Arcade, and Versus Mode.
- 14 real and fantasy racing locations to choose from.
- Multiple racing styles, including GT, Rally, and Drag.
- New Interactive driver AI provides realistic racing situations.
- In game radio communication allows you to hear PIT crew and other drivers.
As the title of this game implies, R: Racing Evolution isn’t your ordinary Ridge Racer. Evolution actually gives racers a bigger dose of simulation than its prequels, although stops way short of a hardcore sim like Gran Turismo. This is actually perfect for gamers like me who don’t want to race every day for a year just so I can buy one new vehicle. At the same time this game goes beyond ordinary arcade racing by implementing an all new story mode titled Racing Life.
Racing Life allows you to play as gorgeous young ambulance driver Rena Hayami whose skills land her a position on a top driving team known as G.V.I. While she gets used to her new lifestyle, Rena gets to know the downside of the racing world as she encounters an arch rival as well as deals with ethical issues such as gambling. While the story isn’t all that deep, I enjoyed this addition to the game. It allows for some sense of purpose rather than race after race after race. Also, Namco delivers beautiful cut scenes between races that really show off our spiffy next-gen console.
The other modes in Evolution are the standard modes mom raised us on. You’ve got an arcade mode that allows you to jump in the car of your choice and burn rubber on any track with five other racers. Time attack is where one goes to improve his time by racing alone with a “ghost” car that imitates your best lap. For those who entertain often, there is a versus mode that provides high speed split-screen action for you and a friend and last but not least, an event challenge mode that lets you dive into your garage and wallet to purchase access to race events that give you a chance to win more money, which, of course, can be used to purchase car enhancements as well as new vehicles.
One thing that all racers must have to be successful is realistic car control. Namco apparently agrees with me since all 32 licensed cars in Evolution have there own specifications and feel to them. While not as deep as GT3, there is still a great deal of personality in every car that make vehicle selection quite a chore if you’ve got your heart set on first place. Remember, speed isn’t everything. For example, choose the Dodge Viper and take on more donuts than your local police force.
Graphically, R: Racing Evolution is a very nice looking game that finally gives GameCube racers something to smile about. The car models look outstanding. The tracks are also very nice, but do suffer from some aliasing. In my opinion, some of the tracks even resemble those of a first-generation PlayStation 2 racer - which might be due to a hasty port of Namco's first GameCube entry in the Ridge Racer series. But don’t get me wrong, the game is pretty. In fact, every time you see sunlight rays hitting the pavement through a series of overhanging trees you can’t help taking your eyes off the road. Even better, this all happens at a flawless 60fps.
The replays in Evolution are probably one of the games proudest moments. The different camera angles are so amazing; you truly forget you are watching a video game. I can honestly say I’ve never seen a racer that emulates a helicopter cam the way this game does. With replays like these, the mighty Gran Turismo better make sure it isn't caught resting on its laurels. It just might get passed up like a certain hare that lost the race.
Also not to be forgotten are the CG cut scenes between races in the Racing Life mode. The graphics definitely add to the story mode via very smooth textures much like the opening scene in Namco’s hit Soul Calibur II. Even the first scene is breathtaking when Rena maneuvers her ambulance through the city in order to save her passenger’s life. Very nicely done.
Evolution utilizes an in-game radio communication system previously unseen by any racer before. During every race you’ll receive remarks from both your pit crew as well as other drivers. Stay on somebody’s tail long enough and you can hear them start to crack under the pressure. By the same token, if you take a turn way too fast, your pit crew will chime in with some tips for you to improve your lap time and, in turn, improve your overall driving. I enjoyed this feature very much and I hope to see it used in future Ridge Racer games.
Unfortunately, the game does seem to get sloppy when it comes to car noises. Most of the cars sound similar and aren’t very convincing. I also feel the car collisions sounded too much like an abused Coke can. While the new radio communication feature makes these less important, they should have spent a little more time in this area.
Anyone familiar with Namco’s previous racing titles won’t be surprised to learn that the techno beats are back. These aren’t a bad selection but tend to get a little boring after a while. They do however seem to fit the game and can easily be tuned out in conjunction with the constant radio banter.
R: Racing Evolution is a game with a very generous life span for a racer. The story mode will take the average gamer about 5-7 hours to complete, especially since you must get 1st place on most races to continue. The event challenge mode, however, will add at least another 10-15 hours since there are 150+ events one can compete in. And what good is having a racing game if you haven’t purchased all of the cars? Finally, the versus mode can have you playing for as many hours as you and a friend can possibly endure. With all of these modes adding up, you won’t be leaving the house any time soon.
I am very excited to finally see a quality racing game for the GameCube console. It’s time that Nintendo shows that its engine can succeed in more than a handful of genres and it’s games like this that make that possible. While the game does have some minor flaws, Namco’s R: Racing Evolution is a great racer whether you're looking for fast arcade speed or a racing sim that makes you feel like a pro. I definitely recommend this game to all racing fans and I look forward to seeing how Namco delivers its next game of the series.